Taraweeh Prayer: Rak'ahs, History, How to Pray and Common Questions

What is Taraweeh prayer, and is it compulsory?

Taraweeh is the voluntary night prayer offered in Ramadan after the Isha prayer, and it is not compulsory. The name is the plural of tarwihah, a rest: Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta cites the lexicographer Ibn Manzur explaining that it was named after the pause taken after each set of four rak’ahs.

Hanafi and Shafi’i answers on SeekersGuidance describe it as an emphasised Sunnah (sunna mu’akkada) for men and women. Muwatta Malik records that the Prophet encouraged night prayer in Ramadan without commanding it, and Sahih al-Bukhari 2009 promises forgiveness of previous sins to whoever prays at night in Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward.

How did Taraweeh begin?

Taraweeh began with the Prophet leading night prayer in the mosque for a few nights of Ramadan. Aisha’s report in Sahih al-Bukhari 2012 describes the crowd growing each night until, on the fourth, he did not come out, explaining that he feared the night prayer would be made obligatory for them.

People then prayed individually or in small groups, which Ibn Shihab says in Sahih al-Bukhari 2009 continued under Abu Bakr and early in Umar’s caliphate. Sahih al-Bukhari 2010 describes Umar gathering the scattered groups behind one reciter, Ubayy ibn Ka’b.

Umar called the arrangement an excellent bid’ah. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani explains on SeekersGuidance that Umar used the word in its linguistic sense of something not done before, and that the Companions accepted it because it matched the Prophet’s guidance. Umar added that prayer at the end of the night, which people slept through, was better still.

How many rak’ahs is Taraweeh: 8, 20 or 36?

Taraweeh is commonly prayed as eight or twenty rak’ahs before Witr, and thirty-six was the historical practice of Madinah; each number has a documented basis. Aisha said in Sahih al-Bukhari 2013 that the Prophet did not pray more than eleven rak’ahs in Ramadan or at other times, and Muwatta Malik records Umar instructing Ubayy ibn Ka’b and Tamim ad-Dari to lead eleven.

The Muwatta also records twenty-three rak’ahs in the time of Umar. In his Arabic commentary to hadith 806, Imam at-Tirmidhi says most scholars follow the twenty reported from Umar, Ali and other Companions, while some held forty-one including Witr, the view and practice of Madinah. Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta calls twenty the relied-upon position of the Hanafi, Shafi’i and Hanbali schools and the well-known Maliki view, and quotes al-Nafrawi that Madinah prayed thirty-six besides Witr in the time of Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz, the number Imam Malik chose in al-Mudawwanah.

Institutions differ in the number they prefer: Dar al-Ifta argues for twenty, while IslamQA regards eleven as following the Prophet’s own practice. IslamQA nonetheless quotes Ibn Taymiyyah that twenty, thirty-six, thirteen or eleven are all acceptable because nothing fixes the number, and says neither practice should be denounced.

How do you pray Taraweeh step by step?

Taraweeh is prayed after Isha in units of two rak’ahs, each closed with salam. This follows Sahih Muslim 749a, which describes night prayer in pairs, and the Shafi’i account on SeekersGuidance describes twenty rak’ahs with ten salams.

The Shafi’i source recommends praying Witr in congregation after Taraweeh unless you intend to pray Tahajjud later, in which case Witr waits until after it. The Witr guide explains the forms taught by each school.

• Pray Isha first; al-Dardir, quoted by Dar al-Ifta, places Taraweeh after it.
• Intend Taraweeh in your heart and begin with the opening takbir, as in any prayer.
• Pray two rak’ahs, reciting Al-Fatihah and a further passage in each, then close with salam.
• After every four rak’ahs, take the short rest described in the Hanafi account, which gives the prayer its name.
• Continue to the number you are following, then pray Witr.

Should you pray Taraweeh at the mosque or at home?

Both are valid, but the schools cited here encourage men to join the mosque congregation. Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam, quoting Haskafi and Ibn Abidin on SeekersGuidance, explains that congregational Taraweeh is a communal Sunnah in the Hanafi school: a man who prays at home is not blameworthy but misses the mosque’s extra reward.

The same answer cites Abdullah ibn Umar advising a man who knew the Quran by heart to pray at home, and Sahih al-Bukhari 731 records the Prophet saying, after some Ramadan night prayers in the mosque, that a person’s best prayer is at home except the obligatory prayers. Tirmidhi notes that Ibn al-Mubarak, Ahmad and Ishaq preferred praying with the imam, while al-Shafi’i preferred a capable reciter to pray alone.

The Shafi’i answer on SeekersGuidance calls congregation recommended for men but not required. Jami at-Tirmidhi 806, graded sahih on the page, adds that whoever stands with the imam until he finishes is recorded as having prayed the whole night.

Is it Sunnah to complete the Quran in Taraweeh?

Completing the Quran over the month in Taraweeh is a widespread, recommended practice, but it is not a condition of the prayer. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s Hanafi answer calls it recommended rather than emphasised, and says briefer recitation is fine where community circumstances call for it.

Dar al-Ifta quotes the Maliki jurist al-Dardir recommending a juz’ each night across the twenty rak’ahs, and the Shafi’i answer calls long recitation meritorious but not necessary. Muwatta Malik records a reciter covering Surah Al-Baqarah in eight rak’ahs, with twelve thought an easier pace.

At home, a realistic plan might be one juz’ a night or simply passages you know well, recited carefully. The Quran planner can spread a completion across the nights you have.

Can women pray Taraweeh at the mosque?

Yes, women may attend, and praying at home is equally a valid way to perform Taraweeh. Sahih al-Bukhari 865 records the instruction to allow women who ask to go to the mosque at night, and Sunan Abi Dawud 567, graded sahih by al-Albani, forbids preventing women from the mosques while saying their houses are better for them.

Jami at-Tirmidhi 806 reports that on one of the last nights of Ramadan the Prophet called his family and his women to pray with the congregation. Shaykh Muhammad Fayez Awad’s Shafi’i answer says a woman’s prayer at home is better unless going brings another benefit, such as a lesson or a skilled reciter, and sets conditions such as modest dress, no perfume and a safe route.

The Hanafi answer on SeekersGuidance calls Taraweeh an emphasised Sunnah for women as well as men, so a woman praying it at home is still performing Taraweeh.

Should you follow the imam’s number of rak’ahs?

Staying with the imam until he finishes is widely encouraged, whatever number he prays. IslamQA cites Jami at-Tirmidhi 806 on that reward and quotes Ibn Uthaymin criticising worshippers who stop after ten rak’ahs and then sit in the rows talking.

If your mosque prays fewer rak’ahs than your school teaches, a Shafi’i answer on SeekersGuidance says you may pray eight with the congregation and the remaining twelve and Witr at home. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani advises someone who finds twenty hard to pray shorter rak’ahs or spread them through the night.

Can the imam read from a mushaf during Taraweeh?

It depends on the school. Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam’s Hanafi answer explains that Imam Abu Hanifa held that reciting from a mushaf invalidates the prayer, including Taraweeh, while his students Abu Yusuf and Muhammad held it valid but disliked; the answer concludes that it remains impermissible in the Hanafi school.

Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta reports that Aisha’s client Dhakwan led her in prayer reciting from the mushaf, that the Shafi’i and Hanbali schools accept an imam doing so, and that the Malikis consider it disliked; it rules it permissible with the majority. Muwatta Malik also records Dhakwan reciting for Aisha in Ramadan.

Quran passages in this guide

Read each complete verse below in Arabic and the identified English interpretation. Follow the context link before drawing conclusions from an isolated verse.

Al-Baqara 2:185. Ramadan as the month in which the Quran was revealed, the background to long recitation in Taraweeh.

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ۝١٨٥

The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.

Translation: Saheeh International · Read in context

Al-Muzzammil 73:20. Keeping vigil for part of the night and reciting what is easy of the Quran.

۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدْنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَىِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَنِصْفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٌ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحْصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرْءَانِ ۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرْضَىٰ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضْرِبُونَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَبْتَغُونَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ ۙ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَـٰتِلُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ فَٱقْرَءُوا۟ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ۚ وَأَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقْرِضُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا ۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيْرًا وَأَعْظَمَ أَجْرًا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌۢ ۝٢٠

Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muhammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allah determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’an. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allah and others fighting for the cause of Allah. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakah and loan Allah a goodly loan. And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allah. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

Translation: Saheeh International · Read in context

Questions readers often ask

Can I pray Taraweeh alone at home?

Yes. Al-Nawawi, quoted by IslamQA, says Taraweeh may be prayed individually or in congregation, and the Hanafi answer on SeekersGuidance says praying it at home is not blameworthy, though a man misses the mosque congregation’s extra reward.

Is it sinful to miss Taraweeh?

Taraweeh is not obligatory. In the Hanafi answers on SeekersGuidance, praying it alone or missing it occasionally is not sinful, but habitually abandoning an emphasised Sunnah is blameworthy and, with persistence, sinful.

When is Taraweeh prayed?

After the Isha prayer on the nights of Ramadan, before dawn. Al-Dardir, quoted by Dar al-Ifta, places it after Isha, and Umar remarked in Sahih al-Bukhari 2010 that prayer at the end of the night was better still.

Do I have to pray Witr with the imam after Taraweeh?

Not necessarily. The Shafi’i source recommends Witr in congregation after Taraweeh unless you plan to pray Tahajjud later, when Witr is delayed until after it. The Witr guide explains each school’s forms.

Can Taraweeh be short?

Yes. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani suggests praying twenty brief rak’ahs rather than skipping them, and IslamQA explains that scholars who prayed more rak’ahs often shortened the recitation to spare the congregation hardship.

Are Taraweeh and Tahajjud the same prayer?

They overlap as night prayer, but Taraweeh usually means the Ramadan prayer after Isha, often in congregation, while Tahajjud is voluntary night prayer, commonly after sleep. The Shafi’i answer treats them separately when advising Witr timing.

Sources

1. Sahih al-Bukhari 2009 Primary text

   Forgiveness for praying at night in Ramadan out of faith; Ibn Shihab on individual prayer under Abu Bakr and early in Umar’s caliphate.

2. Sahih al-Bukhari 2010 Primary text

   Umar gathers the people behind Ubayy ibn Ka’b and remarks on the prayer at the end of the night.

3. Sahih al-Bukhari 2012 Primary text

   The Prophet leads night prayer for several nights, then stops lest it be made obligatory.

4. Sahih al-Bukhari 2013 Primary text

   Aisha: the Prophet did not pray more than eleven rak’ahs in Ramadan or at other times.

5. Muwatta Malik, Book 6: Prayer in Ramadan Primary text

   Reports 1 to 8: encouragement without command, eleven and twenty-three rak’ahs in Umar’s time, al-Baqarah in eight rak’ahs, and Dhakwan reciting for Aisha.

6. Jami at-Tirmidhi 806 Primary text

   Standing with the imam until he finishes counts as the whole night; graded sahih (Darussalam). The Arabic commentary records the views on twenty and forty-one rak’ahs.

7. Sahih Muslim 749a Primary text

   Night prayer is offered in pairs of rak’ahs, closed with an odd rak’ah before dawn.

8. Sahih al-Bukhari 731 Primary text

   The best prayer of a person is in their house except the obligatory prayers, said after Ramadan night prayers.

9. Sahih al-Bukhari 865 Primary text

   Allow women who ask permission to go to the mosque at night.

10. Sunan Abi Dawud 567 Primary text

    Do not prevent women from the mosques, though their houses are better for them; graded sahih by al-Albani on the page.

11. Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta: The Number of Units of Prayer in Tarawih Scholarly guidance

    Meaning of tarwihah, twenty as the relied-upon position of the schools, al-Dardir on completing the Quran, and al-Nafrawi on the thirty-six of Madinah; argues for twenty.

12. IslamQA: Numbers of Rak’ahs in Tarawih Prayer Scholarly guidance

    Regards eleven as the Sunnah but quotes al-Sarkhasi, Ibn Qudamah, al-Nawawi and Ibn Taymiyyah on twenty and thirty-six, and warns against denouncing either practice.

13. SeekersGuidance: The Ruling of the Tarawih Prayer: A Confirmed Sunna Scholarly guidance

    Shaykh Faraz Rabbani on Umar’s use of bid’ah in its linguistic sense and on habitually leaving a confirmed Sunnah.

14. SeekersGuidance: Tarawih in Informal Congregations and Without Completing the Quran Scholarly guidance

    Hanafi answer by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani: an emphasised Sunnah for men and women, twenty rak’ahs in pairs with a rest after four, completion recommended but not emphasised.

15. SeekersGuidance: Is It Necessary to Perform Tarawih Prayers in the Mosque? Scholarly guidance

    Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam on the Hanafi communal Sunnah of congregation, praying at home, and Ibn Umar’s practice.

16. SeekersGuidance: Can I Just Pray 8 Cycles of Tarawih? Scholarly guidance

    Shaykh Faraz Rabbani’s Hanafi advice to pray twenty brief rak’ahs, spread them out, or do what one can.

17. SeekersGuidance: Can I Pray the Remaining Twelve Units of Tarawih at Home? Scholarly guidance

    Shafi’i answer by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick: twenty rak’ahs with salam after each pair, congregation recommended for men, Witr after Taraweeh unless intending Tahajjud.

18. SeekersGuidance: Is It Preferable for a Woman to Pray Tarawih at a Mosque, Musalla, or Home? Scholarly guidance

    Shafi’i answer by Shaykh Muhammad Fayez Awad on when attending is better for a woman and the conditions for going out.

19. SeekersGuidance: Reciting From a Copy of the Qur’an in Tarawih and Other Prayers Scholarly guidance

    Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam on Abu Hanifa’s view and that of his two students.

20. Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta: Reading From the Mushaf During Prayer Scholarly guidance

    Shafi’i, Hanbali, Maliki and Hanafi positions and the report of Dhakwan; rules it permissible with the majority.

Qur’an Arabic: Tanzil (CC BY 3.0). English: Saheeh International (via Tanzil).